Battery lead clamp



Nov. 6, 1951 T. w. HOLLAND 2,573,972

BATTERY LEAD CLAMP Filed Oct. 1. 1946 2 SHEETS'ISHEET 1 INVENTOR.

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fforne u Nov. "6, 195] T. w. HOLLAND 2,573,972

' .BATTERY LEAD CLAMP Filed Oct. 1, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. o //a n 0 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 rem rel-cs I,

UNITED s rare-s "This invention relates to stamp, used"in "sets of two, for attachment to the "terminals of a storage battery for testing and charging the battery.

The clamps heretofore used for such purposes have been so large, bothwhen opened "for attachment to the terminal'and when'they are'attached, that such attachment has become quite difiicult in the close spaces orquarters allowed in the construction of automobiles'and other vehicles today. Also the use of a'spring'to hold the clamp firmly in place does not always 'allow'the 'Claim's. (-01. 173-259) firm hold on the battery terminal that is desired for giving the best contact between *the clamp and the terminal.

In the use'of the instant clamp ascrewis provided for firmly gripping the clamp upon the terminal. The clamp'is of verysmallsize, at'its terminal gripping extremity being just slightly arms .I .of the clamp are of generally U- shaped formation with trunn'ions 8 held by screws 9 in the'sides :of each arm. These trunnions are mounted to pivot in the'arms on the shouldered screws 9, shown in -Figure 7. A starwheel It has right hand and left hand screws H projecting-from its-center and these screws enter nuts 12 in the hubs of trunnions '8 so that rotating the starwheel ill opens or closes the arms I of the clamp. The points on the starwheel ii! are so designed that the center line through the points would pass to one side of the center .line of'the wheel, so that the operator may determine by hissense of touch-on the wheel whether he is opening or closing the clamp.

-Apair of jaws 13 are mounted at the ends-of the arms. Each jaw is held by a forward screw l4 having shoulder 15 fitting loosely in opening 16 in the arm to give the jaw a fiO-ating'orfree rocking movement on the screw. .A rear screw llpasses through the arm and jaw and thisscrew has around it, bearing on the jaw base, a coil spring 13 held by'nut H9. The arm under'the jaw base20 is flat, as is also the jawbase so that the rectional means so that the operator'may determineby the sense of touch the direction in which'to turn the screw to fasten'the clamp upon the terminal and to release it.

Since the clamp is designed for use on either the positive or negative terminal of a battery, it may be provided with means "to designate "the polarity of the wire of the tester or charger "to which the clamp'has been attached. Another object'of the invention is to make the clamp easy to assemble and particularly rugged so that it will not get out of order-0r require any adjustment. j

Other objects and advantages ofthe "invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a'top plan view of the clamp of this invention. I

Figure 2 is a side elevational view'thereof.

Figure 3 is a "longitudinal side sectional *view through the operating parts of the clamp.

Figure 4 is 1 top plan :view with the :upper arm of the clamp removed.

Figure 5 is a sectional'view substantially "on line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure '6 is a forward end elevation or the clamp.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view 'of 'the clamp to the rear of the jaws.

In the drawing'similar'nume'rals referto 's'im'ilar parts throughout the "several views.

The clamp primarily is composed of two identical arms I which are hinged at their rear'ends by a bolt 2. This bolt :a1so holdsin2place a sleeve 3, through which the wires 4 and 5 of the cable 6 pass. The cable is preferably crimped intothe sleeve'3 as-shown at I.

action of the spring tends to hold the jaw fiat on the inner surface of the arm and in line with the tapering direction of the arm. The end of thearm 2 l is at right angles with the axis of the arm so'th'at the jaw has a possible hinging motion around this square end 2! of the arm. The jaws themselves preferably have a rounded 56'- rated gripping-surface 22 which has alcngitudinallyextending V-shaped groove'ZS in its center.

In operation, the effect of this configuration of thesurface is to allow the jaws to be placed around a batteryterminal, and'upon tightening on the starwheel, the jaws rock on their rounded fa'c'er'against the square end 2! of the arms and the springs are compressed so that the jaws tend to :assume 'aposition in which their backs are parallel. The effect of the serrations and the grooved'fa'ce is to make certain an intimate contact of the jaws with the battery terminal through such coating as may be on the terminal. Also theeflect of this configuration of the jaws is toallowa sidewise rockingmovement of the jaws if an irregular surface on the terminal should be contacted, so as at an times to make a firm grip by the jaws upon the terminal regardless of the position of the clamp on the terminal or on the shape or other configuration of the terminal or the portion of the terminal grasped between the jaws.

Since the clamp is designed for use on either the positive or negative "terminal of the battery it has wires leading to it which may be attached 'to either the-positive or negative poles of the tester or battery charger and which should be attached to 'cor'responding poles or terminals of the battery. Inthe 'constructicnshown a stranded wire 5, divided'into two parts for easier positioning, is shown for say, the negative pole-of the tester or charger and battery, which is sweat'ed into openingsin the base of one 'j'aw' as shown in Figure 4. Another wire 4 used for voltage pickup of the same polarity is similarly sweated into an opening in the base of the other jaw. These jaws I It will thus be apparent that a battery clamp of extreme ruggedness is provided in which jaws are mounted having a floating or universal rocking movement and having faces which insure a contact grip upon the battery terminal with a positive means for holding the clamp on the terminal so that it will not be dislodged therefrom and so that the jaws will always maintain a firm contact to allow for the passage of current from the terminal through the clamp to the tester or charger.

It will be apparent that many modifications may be made in the construction of the details of the clamp without departing from the invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be v secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A battery lead connector comprising a pair of arms pivoted together at one end thereof for opening and closing at the other, 'free, ends a hinging movement, and permitting the yielding of the jaws to a firm gripping position upon compressing the arms together, said jaw mounting means including two aligned pins for each jaw, and a spring on one pin on each jaw, holding the jaw yieldingly against the arm, the arms and jaws having large, aligning contacting surfaces adjacent the pins, whereby the spring constrains the jaws to follow the direction of the arms and allows a hinged and turning effect of the jaws on the arms, screw means to hold the arms in fixed clamping position, and a power conductor fixedly connected to one of said jaws.

' 2. A battery lead connector comprising a pair of arms pivoted together at one end thereof for opening and closing at the other, free, ends thereof, a jaw extending from the free end of each arm, means to mount the jaws on the arms for universal rocking movement, said movement, by said mounting means, being constrained to a hinging movement, and permitting the yielding of the jaws to a firm gripping position upon compressing the arms together, each arm having a trunnion pivotally mounted crosswise therein, and a nut in each trunnion, a screw reversely threaded at its ends fitting in each nut and means centrally of the screw to rotate it and simultaneously tighten or loosen the arms, and a power conductor fixedly connected to one of said jaws.

3. A battery connector comprising a pair of arms pivoted together at one end thereof for opening and closing at the other, free ends thereof, and including on the inside of the free ends thereof opposed transverse walls, having flanges on both sides of each end, directed toward the the jaws conforming to the transverse walls of said arm free ends, the gripping section of said jaws extending beyond the termini of said free ends, pins substantially normal to said walls,

connecting the ends and jaws, a compression spring on one pin of each end and jaw connection to urge the adjacent surfaces of the jaws against the transverse walls of the free ends to resiliently maintain the jaws in longitudinal alignment with the arm free ends.

4. Abattery lead connector for obtaining secure contact with terminal surfaces comprising a pair of arms connected together at one end to open .and close at the other free ends thereof, the free ends having inner opposed surfaces, a pair of longitudinally extending jaws each mounted on one said inner surface, the end contacting surface of each jaw conforming to its respective arm free end surface to align the contacting surfaces together, each jaw having a gripping portion extending substantially beyond the termini of said free ends to hinge against the termini of the free ends, pin means attaching one of said jaws to each of said free ends and limiting translation of the jaws with respect to the arm ends, means on one of each pair of contacting surface members cooperating with its opposed surface member and said pin means to align the jaws longitudinally with the arm free ends and resilient means on the pin means of each free end acting with said aligning means, to hold the jaws against the ends in substantial longitudinal alignment with the respective arm free end, means to hold said arm free ends together in clamping position, said jaws hinging about the termini of the free ends to conform to the terminal surface upon closure of the free ends thereon, and a power conductor connected to one of said jaws.

5. A battery lead connector comprising a pair of arms pivoted together at one end thereof for opening and closing at the other, free, ends thereof, a jaw extending from the free end of each arm, each free arm end and adjacent jaw having large, aligning contacting surfaces and means to mount the jaws on the arms with each arm and jaw contacting surface together and permitting universal rocking movement of jaw to arm and opening the jaws with the arms, said movement, by said mounting means, being constrained to a hinging movement, and permitting the yielding of the jaws to a firm gripping position upon compressing the arms together, said jaw mounting means including two aligned pins for each jaw, and a spring on one pin on each jaw, holding the jaw yieldingly against the arm and a power conductor fixedly connected to one of said jaws.

THOMAS W. HOLLAND;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT-S Number Name 1 Date 1,112,466 Mitchell Oct; 6,1914 1,720,003 Rhoades July 9, 1929 1,837,814 Grunwald Dec. 22,1931 1,868,939 Conrad July 26, 1932 1,975,666 Riddle Oct. 2, 1934 2,190,510 Best -Feb. 13, 1940 2,243,086 Buettell May 27, 1941* 2,407,990 Lurie l Sept. 24, 1946 2,472,177 Taber June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7 10,388 France Apr. 9, 1909 

